Germany’s
Interior Minister wants secret backdoor access to computers, phones
and even Volkswagens, according to a media report. Critics have
slammed his plan as an “Orwellian nightmare.”
Interior
Minister Thomas de Maiziere plans to argue “the legal duty for
third parties to allow for secret surveillance” during an interior
ministry conference in Leipzig next week. The proposal would
“dramatically extend” the state’s powers to spy on its
citizens, according to the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND)
report.
If
signed into law, de Maiziere’s proposal would allow German security
services to spy on any device connected to the internet. Tech
companies would be compelled to provide the state with backdoor
access to most digital consumer devices, including private tablets,
computers and even televisions and cars. However, German
authorities would need the authorization of a judge before tapping
into a compromised consumer device.
According
to media, the German interior minister feels such legislation is
necessary because the rise of encryption and other security systems
has hindered digital intelligence gathering and surveillance.
The
plan to expand state snooping powers has raised eyebrows in a country
that within living memory has suffered under some of the most
ruthless, all-pervasive surveillance in history – from both the
Nazi Gestapo and the East German Stasi.
More:
Comments
Post a Comment